Book Review: The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris

The novel is a brilliant
first-person narrative of the rise and fall of the Norse gods - retold
from the point of view of the world's ultimate trickster, Loki. It tells
the story of Loki's recruitment from the underworld of Chaos, his many
exploits on behalf of his one-eyed master, Odin, through to his eventual
betrayal of the gods and the fall of Asgard itself. Using her life-long
passion for the Norse myths, Joanne Harris has created a vibrant and
powerful fantasy novel.

Loki, that’s me.

Loki, the
Light-Bringer, the misunderstood, the elusive, the handsome and modest
hero of this particular tissue of lies. Take it with a pinch of salt,
but it’s at least as true as the official version, and, dare I say it,
more entertaining.

So far, history, such as it is, has cast me in a rather unflattering role.

Now it’s my turn to take the stage.

With his notorious reputation for trickery and deception, and an
ability to cause as many problems as he solves, Loki is a Norse god like
no other. Demon-born, he is viewed with deepest suspicion by his fellow
gods who will never accept him as one of their own and for this he vows
to take his revenge.

From his recruitment by Odin from the
realm of Chaos, through his years as the go-to man of Asgard, to his
fall from grace in the build-up to Ragnarok, this is the unofficial
history of the world’s ultimate trickster. (Goodreads Synopsis)The Gospel of Loki is a fun retelling of the famous Norse myths from the mouth of the Trickster himself. Harris narrative is witty and nicely-paced and Loki's personality really comes across well right from the first page.

I've always enjoyed Norse mythology and always liked the character of Loki who is fleshed out here and brought perfectly to life. The mythology itself has clearly been well researched and Harris provides a new take on the classic tales.

This book will appeal to fans of folklore and mythology but also, I'm sure, to fans of Loki from the Marvel movies.

This is a book I could happily read again and would like to get a copy to keep on my shelf.

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